How SC members of Congress voted, week ending March 8

Here's how South Carolina members of Congress voted on major issues in the week ending March 8.

Voterama in Congress

WASHINGTON — Here's how South Carolina members of Congress voted on major issues in the week ending March 8.

Six Months' Stopgap Spending: Members voted, 267-151, to fund the operation of federal departments and agencies between March 27 and Oct. 1 at an annual rate of $982 billion. The bill locks in the blind cuts known as sequestration but eases their impact on military and veterans' budgets. A yes vote backed HR 933.

Repeal of Sequestration: Members defeated, 188-231, a Democratic bid to exempt a stopgap spending bill (HR 933, above) from the across-the-board cuts known as sequestration. A yes vote backed the motion over Republican arguments this bill is the wrong vehicle for rekindling the sequestration debate.

CIA Director Brennan: Senators confirmed, 63-34, John O. Brennan, 57, the top White House adviser on terrorism, to lead the Central Intelligence Agency. He drew criticism over the administration's aggressive use of drones to kill enemies overseas without an accounting to Congress or the public. A yes vote was to confirm Brennan.

Caitlin Halligan Nomination: Senators failed, 51-41, to reach 60 votes for ending GOP blockage of the nomination of Caitlin J. Halligan, 45, to sit on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. She is general counsel for the New York County District Attorney's Office in Manhattan. A yes vote backed Halligan over National Rifle Association criticism of a brief she once wrote on gun manufacturers' legal liability.

SIX MONTHS' STOPGAP SPENDING: Voting 267 for and 151 against, the House on March 6 sent the Senate a bill (HR 933) to fund the government between March 27 and Sept. 30 at an annual rate of $982 billion. The bill covers the nearly 30 percent of the $3.5 trillion federal budget that is discretionary (non- entitlement) spending. It would lock in the across-the-board cuts known as sequestration for the remaining six months of fiscal 2013 but would soften their impact on military and veterans' budgets.

Not voting: None DEMOCRATS'SEQUESTER REPEAL: Voting 188 for and 231 against, the House on March 6 defeated a Democratic motion to exempt a fiscal 2013 stopgap spending bill (HR 933, above) from the indiscriminate cuts known as sequestration. This was a bid to add $85 billion for defense, domestic and foreign-affairs programs between March 27 and Sept. 30. As designed by the 2011 Budget Control Act, sequestration is scheduled to exact $1.2 trillion in blind cuts in discretionaryspending accounts over ten years, split evenly between defense and non-defense programs. The $85 billion addressed by this motion is the first installment of those cuts.

Democrats offered the motion after GOP leaders refused to allow an up-ordown vote on a bill to repeal sequestration and find other ways to save $1.2 trillion over ten years. That bill would replace blind cuts with targeted ones and add revenue measures such as closing tax loopholes, ending subsidies of oil companies and setting a minimum tax rate of 30 percent on incomes over $2 million. House Republicans have offered no bills in the 113th Congress to change sequestration.

A yes vote backed the Democratic motion.

Voting yes: Clyburn Voting no: Wilson, Duncan, Gowdy, Mulvaney,

Rice

Not voting: None

CIA DIRECTOR BRENNAN: Voting 63 for and 34 against, the Senate on March 7 confirmed John O. Brennan, 57, as director of the Central Intelligence Agency. Brennan had been President Obama's top aide in fighting terrorism and served for 25 years in the CIA, including a stint as station chief in Saudi Arabia. His nomination drew criticism, in part, over the administration's aggressive use of drones to kill enemies overseas without an accounting to Congress or the public.

A yes vote was to confirm Brennan.

SOUTH CAROLINA voting yes: Lindsey Graham, R

Voting no: Tim Scott, R CAITLIN HALLIGAN NOMINATION: Voting 51 for and 41 against, the Senate on March 6 failed to reach 60 votes for ending a Republican filibuster against the nomination of Caitlin J. Halligan, 45, for a seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. Halligan is general counsel for the New York County District Attorney's Office in Manhattan. She received the American Bar Association's highest rating but is opposed by the National Rifle Association. Critics point to a brief she filed in 2003 as solicitor general of New York State that argued gun manufacturers can be held liable for the criminal acts of third parties using their products. Supporters noted her vow during her confirmation hearing to uphold the Supreme Court's position on Second Amendment rights. This vote marked the second time in the past 16 months Senate Republicans have blocked her nomination.

A yes vote was to advance the nomination.

Voting yes: None Voting no: Graham, Scott

KEY VOTES AHEAD

In the week of March 11, the House will take up a federal budget blueprint authored by Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., while the Senate will debate a bill to fund the government from March 27 to Oct. 1.

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